By Selina Schuler, Software Developer, AMBER wireless GmbH From decentralized intelligence and cyber-physical systems to the smart home and smart factory — the Internet of Things (IoT) is being brought to the fore. However, the IoT does not only mean connecting devices using the Internet. When cables get in the way and Wi-Fi is not practicable ...

By Dr. Lauro Rizzatti, Verification ConsultantOn the production/testing floor, is it better to pass a failing device or to reject a good one? Obviously both are bad choices. If you reject a good device, you shoot yourself in the foot, since you lower the yield of your manufacturing facility and take a hit to profits. But, if you ...

By Paul Groome, Semiconductor Business Director, Machine Vision ProductsWhen Machine Vision Products, Inc., (MVP) was founded 25 years ago, cell phones were in their infancy and portable electronics simply didn't exist. The majority of manufacturing was through-hole, the i486 was the main computing platform and Windows 3.1 was flashy and new.

By Tom Adams, Consultant, SonoscanAcoustic micro imaging tools, or acoustic microscopes, are well-known for their ability to pulse ultrasound into a sample, collect the echoes and create acoustic images. These images show the desired depth without harming the sample. These tools can even create nondestructive cross-sections ...

By Jeff ElliottThe process of determining the ideal plasma treatment that will resolve a challenging bonding or adhesion issue is an exact science, often the domain of chemists and physicists. However, with multiple options and chemistries at their disposal, coming up with the ideal plasma "recipe ...

By Mikolaj Przybyla, Managing Director, GL Optic LichtmesstechnikIn March 2015, the International Commission on Illumiation (CIE) published the first international standard with guidelines on LED light source measurements. Previous standards only addressed measurements of traditional light sources.

By Matthias Zapatka, CTO, INGUN USAINGUN's fixture kits are well-known for their ease of operation and cassette design. Expensive dedicated fixtures can only cover one device under test (DUT). INGUN's fixture kits can be reused for several devices — simply by swapping out the insert, while keeping the same frame and ...

By Christophe Lotz, President and CEO, ASTER Technologies, LLCThe purpose of any test solution is to maximize test coverage, ensuring that the majority of defects are detected, while minimizing the test cost. If a product is not tested well enough, poor-quality products can be devastating to a manufacturer's reputation. If a product is tested ...

By Jeff ElliottThe ideal contract manufacturer is more than a transactional supplier, but a partner who improves both the product and process. When OEMs outsource PCBs or electronic box build assemblies, the primary criteria when selecting a contract manufacturer have always boiled down to cost, quality ...

By Bjorn Dahle, President, KICWhether we hype it and call it artificial intelligence (AI) or the more modest "machine optimization," reflow oven optimization software is a great example of a smart machine.

By the Staff of Interplex Holdings Pte., Ltd.Manufacturers have been pre-tinning component solder leads for years, but mostly for through-hole technology. SMT and lead-free soldering have made this type of preparation difficult, until now.

By Graham Dale, Technical Director, Pickering ElectronicsA reed relay, if used correctly, is a near-perfect device with a low-resistance metallic switch path and inherent isolation between the control voltage operating the coil and the signal being switched. Reed relays contain a reed switch, a coil for creating a magnetic field, an optional ...

By Florian SchildeinTightening thermal requirements for copper wire and connectors, especially in the automotive supply and consumer goods industries, are driving innovation in selective soldering. For more than 20 years, EUTECT® GmbH has been developing and manufacturing selective soldering modules ...

By Patrick RobertsThe tunable microwave-frequency alternating current scanning tunneling microscope (ACSTM) can record local spectra and local chemical information on insulator surfaces, much like the conventional STM can do for metals and semiconductors. Spectroscopy in the microwave frequency range ...

By Patrick Moroney, Product Marketing Manager, Komax WireAs consumers, we pay attention to the look and feel of our smartphones, car interiors, kitchen appliances, keyboards, and apps. In fact, when we encounter substandard design, we notice it right away. We demand and expect a good user experience from the products we use in our personal ...

By Mike Szuch, Akira Morita and Garret Wong, Nordson ASYMTEK; Mike Sakaguchi and Hiroaki Umeda, Tatsuta Electric Wire & Cable Company LimitedEMI shielding has always been an important component of RF devices, but the demands of today's Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G, LTE, wearable, and IoT devices have created a special set of hurdles for the manufacturing engineer. These devices rely on different radio frequencies that can interfere ...

By Chrisophe Lotz, President and CEO, Aster TechnologiesIndustry 4.0 is the widely-used name for the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing. The concept is being applied by many in order to create the smart factory. Within the modular elements of smart factories, cyber-physical systems monitor physical processes, ...

By Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, President and CEO, CyberOptics CorporationIn general, you can have very fast sensors that are not so accurate, or very accurate sensors that are not so fast. Having both at the same time has been critical to CyberOptics' development.